


A Happy Childhood

by Radar_Girl, Wikketkrikket



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Brother Feels, Brotherhood, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Childhood, Childhood Adventures, Childhood Memories, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Kid Fic, Kid Loki (Marvel), Kid Loki and Kid Thor (Marvel), Kid Thor (Marvel), Light Angst, Protective Frigga (Marvel), Protective Thor (Marvel), Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2020-03-07 23:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18883105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radar_Girl/pseuds/Radar_Girl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wikketkrikket/pseuds/Wikketkrikket
Summary: Drabble collection about Thor and Loki's childhood.We all know that it must have been eventful, full of ups and downs, laughter and tears.We need it after Endgame, okay??





	1. god of what now????

 

 

**The god of what????**

 

Odin and Frigga rarely enjoyed entertaining the dwarves of Nidavellir, but it was important to keep them sweet.

 

For one thing, they were far too big to feast comfortably inside the palace of Asgard. The roof may have stretched far above their heads, yes, but once they had a horn or two of mead inside of them they became boisterous. Things got broken. Important things like pillars and walls. Then there was the problem of the furniture and cutlery being too small for them, so chairs, plates, forks, cups all had to be specially made and then stored away in a gigantic hall until the next year. And let's not mention the issue with the toilets. All in all, they were too sombre when sober, too rowdy when tipsy, whinged that they were not been given large enough portions sizes, and were just very difficult to please.

 

But it had to be done.

 

That year Eitri was being particularity galling because according to him the Aesir soldiers who were stationed at the forge had been stealing small nuggets of gold and he wanted to know what Odin was going to do about it and what compensation they would receive, while at the same time threatening to break ties with Asgard, etc, etc.

 

Just when Odin thought that his patience might break one of the doors to the hall banged open, although from their places on their high chairs (literal for Odin and Frigga, they were perched on chairs with extra long legs in order to match the height of the table) they failed to see who had just barged in. For a moment they thought it must have just been the wind, but then when they heard the high pitched scream, a child's attempt at a battle-cry, they could not fail to recognise Thor.

 

The royal parents sat frozen in mortified horror as their four year old son charged around the table, the sunlight bouncing of his very naked body. He came to a screeching halt besides Eitri and hurled a cooked sausage at the bemused dwarf.

 

It was an impressive throw as the sausage arched high through the air and bounced off Eitri's nose.

 

'I'm the god of....SAUSAGES! Thor bellowed at him and ran off again, going the long way around the table, and back out through the door.

 

Silence sat heavily on them all. Odin was thinking fast. Frigga was hiding a smile behind her hand. The dwarves blinked once, twice, and then burst out laughing so loudly that the walls shook, even Eitri.

 

'He'll go far one day, that boy,' he said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

 

Odin was fully prepared to take advantage of the merriment.

 

'Yes, indeed. And he'll always be at your service to protect your people in times of need. After all, we are such good friends.'

 

The tenuous agreement between the dwarves and the Aesir had been protected, for the time being.

 

* * *

 

AN: This is so exciting, co authoring a fic with my sister! Seriously, Wikket is a really awesome writer, go go go check out her Stony fics.

By the way, Sis, I did not know what to call this fic, do you have any better ideas? Same goes for the tags, etc.

Thanks for reading!

 

 


	2. Valkyries vs Trolls

Valkyries vs Trolls

 

It wasn't that Thor didn't love his brother, it was just that Loki was so very _small_. He couldn't swim or throw or run fast, or even run for very long without needing a rest. So sometimes Thor just wanted to play with his friends instead, but he tried his best. There were times, though, when he wish he'd asked them instead of Loki. This was one of those times.

Thor was hiding behind a bush, holding a stick as a club. He'd invited Loki to play Valkyries vs Trolls with him, and in a moment of brotherly compassion had even agreed to let _Loki_ be the Valkyrie with his own stick as a sword. Only now Thor had been hiding in the bush for absolutely _ages_ and Loki hadn't found him.

Thor tried roaring a little and shaking the bush, but it did no good. Loki still didn't come. Frowning, Thor got out of the bush and ran back towards the castle, only to find Loki was still exactly where Thor had left him, and worse, he was using the sword-stick to scratch in the dirt. Thor stood in front of him, hands on hips. Loki gave a moan of annoyance, looking up at him angrily.

'What are you doing?' Thor demanded. 'You're _meant_ to be chasing me!'

'I'm making a spell and you ruined it!'

Looking down at his feet, Thor saw that the dirt immediately surrounding him was covered with Loki's 'rune marks'. Even though he was far too little to start lessons, last summer he had begged and begged their mother to teach him to read, only to pronounce half way through the alphabet that they were the wrong shape and scuttle off to make his own. He still insisted on using them, even though nobody could read it but him.

'Oh,' Thor said, and tried to jump out of the way as neatly as he could, but some still got scuffed, making Loki shriek in displeasure.

'Stop that!' Thor scolded, looking anxiously towards the castle. 'I'm sorry I ruined your spell, but it was an accident, and anyway, you're playing it wrong! You're meant to come and kill me with the sword!'

'But if I were a Valkyrie,' Loki pouted, 'I wouldn't use the stupid old sword. I'd use a spell. Except now you spoilt it, and this is the only place I wrote it down, so now it's gone forever.'

'Oh,' Thor said, uncomfortably. 'But the Valkyries don't really use spells.'

'I would,' Loki insisted. Then he held up his hand, said a few words Thor didn't know, and _blasted_ Thor away. It was like being pushed by a day's wind all at once, and just in one place. Thor was knocked to the floor, bumping his nose and bloodying it.

'Thor, I remembered it!' Loki said, delightedly. Thor sat up and wiped his face tentatively. Not too bad, he decided.

'That was amazing, Loki!' He said, scrambling to his feet and running nearer. 'Do it again!'

So Loki did, and by the end of the afternoon Thor was flying a full fifty feet, and had broken his arm on a tree, and then the nursemaid came out and made them stop and made Thor go and lie in a healing chamber so his arm could be fixed. Still, Loki knew how to do it now, so they could always play it again tomorrow.

Thor couldn't _wait_ to show his friends.

 


	3. God of Thunder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really a joint effort - I told Radar_Girl I was going to write about Thor's powers awakening and that it would involve a tree, she produced some BEAUTIFUL art, and I went 'oh yes, that is what the tree should look like. Yes, Loki should be there', and here we are. :) This one has just the lightest hint of angst at the end.

God of Thunder

 

His foot was still in the doorway. When the dark clouds had gathered and the wind had started to growl, his Mother had sat Thor down and made him promise _solemnly_ he wouldn't go out in it this time. And Thor had promised, and meant it, he really had, but he couldn't help it. He would see the lightning and hear the thunder and even though he thought he was only watching it through the window he'd find himself outside without knowing quite how it happened.

But. If his foot was still inside, technically he was still inside, and he hadn't _really_ broken his promise. That was what Loki had said, the last time he had been caught on the doorstep late at night. If Thor went out and ran round in the storm like he wanted to, then he would be breaking his promise. But he didn't so he wasn't. He just wanted to check on his tree.

It was an ancient tree, older even than the palace, and Father said it was a grandchild of Yggdrasil, which didn't _sound_ impressive until you realised that Yggdrasil had been there since the beginning of time so its grandchildren were only a bit younger, and still incredibly old. It was the tallest tree in the whole grounds, tall enough to cast almost the whole front of the palace into shade when the sun came through it. And it was _Thor's_ tree. He was the only one who had ever managed to climb it all the way to the top, and when he touched it, it would grow a delicious golden apple for him. Sometimes it would do it for the other gods too, but only when it was in the mood. For Thor, it did it _every_ time. The tree liked him.

It had never grown an apple for Loki, not even once. Even though Loki came out to visit it every time Mother forced him to go outdoors, because he said the arrangement of the roots made a comfortable reading seat. Maybe the tree just didn't like being sat on.

The lightning was close now, flashing across the sky and illuminating the grounds every few seconds. Thor squinted at it, watched the bolts as they scored a line across the thick clouds.

'You're not supposed to be outside,' Loki said from behind him. Of course. If there was an opportunity to possibly catch Thor in some wrong doing, Loki would take it and run straight to the grown ups; unless Thor offered him something better, some bribe to keep quiet. But Thor didn't have time for that today. He was watching the pattern of the lightning, trying to work it out.

'Not now, 'ki,' he said, absently.

'But you're _outside_ ,' Loki repeated, as if that and not the lack of attention was what was scandalising him.

'No I'm not,' Thor said, lifting his foot off the threshold to wave at him. 'I'm just – oh!'

'What?' Loki peered out past him, looking into the grounds, dark but for the after burn of the latest flash.

'It's going to hit my tree!'

'What? You fool, Thor, no-one can predict- hey!'

Thor wasn't listening. He'd forgotten about Loki, forgotten about his promise, he just wanted to get to his tree and do- do _something_ , before it was too late. He raced across the grounds, willing himself to go faster than he ever had before, eyes fixed on the clouds above his tree, where it seemed to be glowing, bulging-

' _No!_ Stop! _'_

The cloud dropped down the lightning. Thor was still several feet away, unable to do anything but hold out his hand in protest, cry out in horror- and the lightning listened. It _listened._

With a crack as the uppermost branches of the tree broke away, the bolt of lightning changed direction, streaking directly for Thor's upheld palm. He felt the impact as the lightning surged into him, and it felt right. His blood was surging, rejoicing, awakening. It didn't hurt, but it tingled in an intense, exciting way, just a fraction below discomfort. He took the whole bolt in like that and then, when it was all gone, he waved his hand dismissively at the Heavens, like one of the warriors shooing him away from their practice. The sky cleared.

'How did you do that?' Loki demanded from somewhere behind him. Thor turned, realising as he did so that there were still crackles of static electricity in his hair. He tried to beat them out with his hand. Loki was soaked, he noticed, from the run across the grounds. He himself was bone dry.

He could have made a joke. Normally, faced with Loki's seething expression of jealousy, he would have done. He could have said it was _too complicated_ for Loki to understand, or that _he needed to be older_. But he didn't. He didn't know how to answer at all.

Later, Odin listened to their story. He didn't even get angry that they'd gone out in the storm. Instead he beamed down at Thor, his eyes full of pride.

'It is the way the realms responds to us,' he said. 'Nature sends a dedicated servant to each Asgardian, to help us on our way. No-one knows why the roles are chosen the way they are, but they are always right. It seems your servant is the storm, Thor. You've awakened, God of Thunder.'

Later still, at the banquet celebrating his new powers, Thor overhears his brother asking their mother, 'But _when_ will my powers awaken, Mother?'

'Clearly you are not the god of Patience.'

'I'm serious, Thor got his, when do I get mine?'

'Soon, Loki,' she said, soothingly. 'Very soon.'

Somehow, that is the part Thor will most remember years later. Loki asking when he would get his powers, his Asgardian birthright, and the gentle, soft voice in which his Mother promised him, _soon_.

 


	4. Story time/Play Time

The hour was late and the temperature low. Most of the Aesir were soundly asleep, wrapped up in their blankets and dreaming of nothing much important.

However, the king was still awake, working hard in his office to catch up on neglected paperwork. Every time the fire grew weak Odin would absently wave his hand and the flames would spring back up again, spluttering and hissing for breath. He preferred to work in the dead of night when there were no distractions. Or at least there wasn't supposed to be.

A sudden clattering by the hearth caught his attention. He looked up to see his youngest son playing happily with his tin soldiers. Evidently one had just died on the battlefield going by the way Loki had used another soldier to knock him down, growling under his breath.

'How did you get in here, Loki?' he demanded. 

Loki did not even look at him. 'The door.'

That was not the answer Odin had been expecting. The truth was that by now both he and Frigga were used to Loki becoming more energetic and restless during the height of winter. While everyone else was complaining about how sluggish and tired the dead months made them feel, it was not unusual for Loki to be awake at all sorts of odd hours, fully alert and demanding that the rest of household join him. No, what had surprised Odin was that Loki had been able to enter his office without him noticing. The boy was becoming a master of sneaking and while this made him proud and somewhat relieved that Loki had a talent that he excelled at over Thor, it left Odin frustrated that it was a talent used for breaking the rules. His rules. Loki knew full well that he was not allowed to leave his bed until Fulla came for him in the morning.

'Go to bed, Loki,' he said, as he returned his attention to the report he was reading.

'No.'

Odin sucked in a sharp breath. He wasn't particularly angry at such flagrant defiance, that pushing of boundaries was normal behaviour for a child of Loki's age, but that didn't mean that he would allow Loki to get his own way.

'Bed. Now,' he ordered, in a low, forceful tone. He was sure that it would be enough to send Loki slinking away.

'No, Father, I am playing,' Loki retorted, mimicking perfectly the same level of forcefulness. He giggled as he banged two soldiers together, locked in an epic struggle for victory.

Odin stood up and lent forward on his desk. 'I am losing my temper with you, young man. Go to bed now or you won't be allowed to play outside tomorrow!'

Screwing his face up in an exaggerated display of grumpiness, Loki threw the soldiers into their wooden box, cramming them in. (Odin couldn't help but notice that he possessed a number greater than the amount he had been originally given and made a mental note to ask Fulla to check that Thor was not missing any of his own.) He placed the box under his arm and stomped to the door; he jumped up to reach the door handle, swung it open, stomped out, slamming it closed behind himself.

Odin sighed. Peace once again.

Half an hour later and Loki was back in the office, this time with his wooden trolley loaded with heavy, dusty books he had taken from the library.

Odin jumped when he happened to glance up from his writing and saw his son lying on his tummy in front of the fire, books lying open arranged in a neat circle around him.

'I told you to go to bed!' Odin snapped.

Loki sat up, looking alarmed. 'I did! I was asleep for ages, but it's still night time!'

Odin hid his face behind his hand, exasperated. 'What am I going to do with you?'

'Play with me.'

'Hmm?'

Odin removed his hand to see Loki standing next to him. The boy was all of a jitter, completely unable to stand still as he hopped up and down on the spot.

'Play with me, play with me!' he chanted, tugging on Odin's sleeve.

Odin stared back at him. His behaviour was not merely naughtiness, he finally realised. A child who refused to go to bed was usually overtired and would throw a tantrum, but Loki was full of giggly, light energy. He really wasn't tired.

He took hold of Loki's hands to still him, but the child still continued to bounce up and down.

'It is not play time,' he said gently. 'But I will read you a story.'

'I know how to read.'

'Very well. You can read me a story. Choose a book.'

Loki gasped in excitement. He had never been allowed to read to his father before. He dashed back to his book circle, sliding across the floor on his knees, inspecting each book in turn for suitability. Finally, he selected the largest, heaviest tome and hauled it across the room to Odin.

Odin took it from his hands and dropped it with a thump onto his desk, already regretting his decision. Loki scrambled eagerly on his lap and flicked through the pages for his favourite story.

He read to Odin the story of Jǫkull the ice wolf who brought winter to Asgard every year with a bite of her terrible jaws, her teeth crashing together like the cracking of ice, and how the giantess Aldrnari tried to capture her, but failed.

Odin was pleased to hear Loki's reading speed slowing down with every sentence and his voice becoming thicker with approaching sleep. Eventually he took over, feeling reminiscent of the past as Loki lay snuggled up in his arms.

As he read the final sentence he was sure that Loki had fallen asleep, but no sooner than he had closed the book, Loki's eyes sprang open and he was standing up on Odin's lap, tapping shoulder for attention.

'Is it morning yet? Can we play now?'

'No,' Odin replied, heavily. 'It is not play time.'

'I think the sun's been eaten,' said Loki, sadly. 'We're the only ones awake for the rest of time.'

Odin patted his head. 'The sun will always rise, eventually. Do you get lonely,Loki, when you're the only one awake?'

'No! I never get lonely!'

What parent could believe that?

Odin twisted around to look out of the window.

The flickering candle on the windowsill was making a valiant effort to illuminate the steadily falling snow on the other side of the glass pane, however it was the whistle of the wind and the gentle steady pattering noise of snowflakes pelting the glass that really kept Odin informed of the weather outside. Weather that a young Frost Giant needed to be able to play in.

Odin looked thoughtfully back at Loki. They spent so much time and effort in protecting him from the truth that he was never really allowed to be himself. Perhaps there was some wisdom in being a little more flexible, cautiously, of course. There was only a few guards on duty and no servants about, and Loki really needed to expend some of his energy.

 

'I've changed my mind, Loki. It is play time. Find your boots. We're going to go into the garden.'

 

Loki loved it. He loved being allowed to play in the pitch dark night, with the howling, bitter wind, and flurries of snow blowing into his face. He loved having Odin all to himself and sharing a secret with him. He loved that for once his father did not seem mind him diving into the snow drifts or taking his coat off because he was too warm.

 

Odin joined in with the rough and tumble play with a swelling heart. Right now Loki was too young and innocent to ask too many questions, but Odin knew that it would only become harder to conceal the truth as he grew. But, for now, he would just let Loki be a child.

 

 


	5. Prophesy

 

 

No one needed to be told that Odin was a collector of worlds and their treasures, hoarding them all for himself and his own people; his name was feared throughout the universe. He was Odin the Destroyer, Odin the Conquer, Odin the Terrible One.

 

But not everyone knew that he was also a collector of the immaterial, of wisdom, knowledge and all things clairvoyant. He wanted to know everything that could possibly be known.

 

But that day he had been given a prophecy which had shattered his heart.

 

Odin had always been aware that sometimes too much knowledge could be a negative thing, that there were some facts not worth the price of knowing, but that awareness had never been a strong enough deterrent to put him off seeking all that wisdom, knowledge and prophesies from wherever it could be found.

 

Now he had been given the punishment he deserved.

 

_'Two Odinsons: one will die for the crown, the other will flee from it.'_

 

The prophesy had come straight from the mouth of Mimir's head, so there could be no questioning it's accuracy. It had never been wrong before.

 

A shrill cry of, 'Cheater! Get back here!' disturbed him from his thoughts.

 

Odin looked out of the window to see Loki racing across the courtyard, red flag grasped in his hand. He was being closely pursued by a whole pack of children, with Thor leading them.

 

Very quickly Thor caught up with his younger brother and leapt on top of him, forcing him to the ground. He yanked the flag from Loki's grasp and proudly waved it over his head to the cheers of the other children.

 

Loki sat up on his knees, looking furious.

 

'Stop it, Thor!' he snarled. 'I made it back to the courtyard first so I win, not you!'

 

Thor gave him a reproachful look. 'But you used your magic to try and throw us all off the scent. That's cheating so it doesn't count!'

 

'Yes, it does!'

 

'No, it doesn't! You can't keep relying on your magic to cheat all the time, Loki. It's not fair on anyone else. And besides magic is for women and sickly men, not warriors.' He held out a hand to his brother. 'Come on, let's play again. Only this time we'll work together, so I can help you keep up.'

 

One of the larger boys folded his arms. 'You always have to help him! It's boring! Just leave him behind!'

 

'Loki can't help it!'

 

Loki slapped Thor's hand away. 'I don't want to play your stupid game!' he spat. He climbed to his feet and slowly skulked away, head down; but it was Thor that Odin kept his eye on, watching as Thor ran off back into the gardens, his own heart aching. His poor, poor son, his firstborn, his golden boy destined to die.

 

* * *

 

 

Odin did his best to be fair, to treat both his beloved sons equally, but could never resist showering favour on the son he was already grieving for. No prophesy once made could be changed or avoided, so if Thor must die then Odin wanted him to know that he was loved, that his sacrifice would be appreciated.

 

As for Loki, Odin loved him still, but it was difficult sometimes to look at the boy without the word coward jumping into his mind. He did not blame Loki for being weaker than Thor, he only wished that he could be just as noble.

 

* * *

 

 

_'You'll...never be....a...god....'_

 

_'It's time for me to be who I am rather than who I am supposed to be.'_

 

How could he have gotten it so wrong?

 

* * *

 

AN: Thanks for reading, sorry it was such an angsty one!

 


	6. Chapter Six: Into the Wood

 

**Into the Forest – Part One**

 

It was the first warm spring day of the year and the last of the winter's snow had finally melted away. Only the children were sad to see it gone, Loki most of all, although he pretended not to care. It was not yet his time for understanding why he preferred the dark winter months to the brighter, warmer ones in contradiction to everybody else.

 

Early that morning he and Thor went to the Boys' Training Hall, as they did every morning, to await the arrival of their teacher, a much honoured and revered centaur named Chiron.

 

Loki sat on the floor, reading a book, while Thor jogged around the hall, warming himself up in preparation for the day's training.

 

'I hope it's spears today,' Thor said, as he ran past his brother. 'I need to sharpen my aim. Or axes. Actually, I hope it's axes.'

 

Loki turned a page. 'It will be neither.'

 

'What makes you say that?'

 

'Because Chiron's lessons are always more creative just after the thaw of winter. He will have thought up an exercise far more interesting than just boring old spear practise. Or axes.'

 

Thor said nothing, knowing that Loki was probably right and carried on running.

 

They waited a further ten minutes and just as they were becoming restless a piece of torn parchment fluttered down from the ceiling and drifted to and fro in front of Thor's nose. He snatched it out of the air and read out loud the message which had been hastily scrawled across it:

 

“Dear Thor and Loki, HELP! I have been kidnapped by rock trolls. Search for me in the Sapphire Forest and rescue me. HELP! Warmest regards, Chiron. P.S HELP!”

 

Thor's eyes lit up as he screwed up the parchment in his fist and pumped the air.

 

'We have a quest!' he cheered.

 

'It's only pretend,' Loki reminded him. 'It will be three days of wandering aimlessly through the forest and then throwing spears at straw trolls. You were quite right, Thor, it will be spear practise.'

 

Thor grabbed him by the arms. 'You're missing the point, brother! It'll be three days on our _own._ '

 

Loki thought for a moment and then his own eyes rounded in excitement. 'No Fulla and no parents.'

 

'Exactly! And no bedtime. We can stay awake all night if we want to.'

 

'And we can eat what we want when we want to.'

 

'Camping under the open sky using our shields for pillows, like real warriors!'

 

'Yeah!'

 

Thor gave Loki a friendly shove towards the doors. 'You're in charge of food and bedding. I'm going to pick out our weapons and the route we shall take. Meet me by the stables in one hour.'

 

'One hour? So, uh, that will be....?'

 

'Meet me by the stables when you get bored.'

 

* * *

 

It was an emotional day for Odin and Frigga, not that they would allow their heartache to show on their faces. It had been decided a month ago between themselves and Chiron that the boys were now of an age when they needed greater opportunities to become more independent and hardened, away from the watchful and protective gaze of their parents and servants and away from the luxury of the golden palace.

 

In spite of their desire to help their sons grow into fully rounded adults it was still a wretch to think of them gradually leaving their childhoods behind forever and it was impossible not to worry about their welfare knowing that they would be in the Sapphire Forest all alone. For all of Thor's mighty strength and power he was still years away from becoming a fully fledged warrior. And for all of Loki's fierce intelligence he was still naïve about many things. Like being unable to tell the time.

 

Twenty minutes after gathering supplies Loki had dragged two heavy bags to the stables, followed closely by Odin and Frigga.

 

'Can I least see what you've packed, darling?' Frigga asked, reaching for the straps on Loki's bulging bag. She dreaded to think what his idea of suitable supplies was, but before she could look he had gently knocked her hand aside.

 

'Mother, you're not supposed to interfere. That's cheating! Father, can you tie my boot laces for me, please?'

 

Odin knelt down on one knee. 'I thought you had been practising,' he grumbled, pulling the laces tight. 'And what happened to not interfering?'

 

'You're allowed to tie my laces for me. Chiron said so.'

 

'Did he indeed?'

 

'Yes! He also said that you're not allowed to send Huginn and Muninn to follow us, Heimdall has to keep his eyes shut, and Mother is not to turn into a falcon to watch over us.'

 

Frigga pressed a hand to her cheek. 'My, my, so many rules Chiron failed to inform us about.' She winked at Odin. 'Now, then, where is your brother?'

 

'Here I am!' Thor panted, rounding the corner. He was pulling a creaking hand cart filled with swords, shields, helmets, maces, knives, spears, and axes, of course. 'I couldn't decided what to bring, so I chose to borrow Much the Baker's cart instead and just fill it up as much as I could.'

 

Odin hid his despairing face behind his hand.

 

Loki looked disgusted. 'We're not going to need all that, you fool! What good is a spear against rock trolls?'

 

'You said that they would be made of straw! You said it would be spear practise!'

 

'We have to pretend it's real. That's the point! And you wouldn't bother to use a spear against a real rock troll.'

 

'Well, if we have to pretend it's real then I'm going to pretend that we don't know for certain what dangers we will face. I'm taking everything.'

 

'Then you'll be wasting your time and energy.' Loki cracked his knuckles. 'I'm just going to blast them, using my secret spell.'

 

'You're not allowed to use magic.'

 

'I am.'

 

'You're not! You're learning the ways of a warrior, Loki, so no magic allowed.'

 

'This isn't a prearranged duel between two old warriors fighting over a matter of honour, Thor. It's life or death, so anything goes. I'm using my magic.'

 

'No, you're not.'

 

'Enough!' Odin barked. 'Look at the two of you, squabbling like gulls over a piece of stale bread. I've half a mind to contact Chiron right now and tell him that you're not ready for such responsibility.'

 

'Thor started it.'

 

'That is enough! Your bags are packed, your weapons chosen, and the day is only growing shorter by the minute. You should leave now. Nessa is waiting to go.'

 

Thor groaned. 'Oh, Father, please, not Nessa. She's old and slow. Her belly almost reaches the ground.'

 

Odin's eye glittered mischievously. 'She is sturdy and reliable. A perfect mount for two young boys with far too much luggage. Time for you to leave.'

 

So, they placed their bags on old Nessa's back - food, bedding, and weapons and all – and off they went, plodding at a steady pace down the long path and into the Sapphire Forest, and with Odin and Frigga waving them off.

 

 

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! Some of you will know that Chiron the Centaur is actually a famous character from Greek mythology. Chiron was known as the wisest and most just of his kind, and trained a lot of different heroes, including Hercules. The idea here being that Odin has borrowed Chrion from Olympus to train his sons.

 

 

 


End file.
